Wisteria plant named ‘Ed&#39;s Blue Dragon’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Wisteria floribunda  named ‘Ed&#39;s Blue Dragon’, characterized by its double pale blue and mauve flowers and its vigorous growth rate with ease of propagation.

Botanical classification: Wisteria floribunda.

Cultivar designation: ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Wisteria plant, botanically known as Wisteria floribunda ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’. The new cultivar represents a new Japanese wisteria grown as a vine or shrub for landscape use.

‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ arose from a breeding project conducted by the Inventor in Los Gatos, Calif. Pollen from various unnamed plants in the Inventors breeding program was used to pollinate plants of ‘Black Dragon’ (not patented) and the resulting seeds pooled and sowed. The male parent is therefore unknown. ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ was selected as a single unique plant in spring of 1996 from amongst the resulting seedlings.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by grafting in Los Gatos, Calif. by the Inventor in 1997. Asexual reproduction by grafting and stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of this cultivar to be stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ as a unique cultivar of Wisteria.

-   -   1. ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ exhibits double flowers.     -   2. ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ exhibits flowers that are pale blue and         mauve in color.     -   3. ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ has a vigorous growth habit and is readily         propagated by grafting and stem cuttings.         ‘Black Dragon’, the female parent, differs from ‘Ed's Blue         Dragon’ in having dark purple-mauve colored double flowers.         ‘Black Dragon’ is grown under many synonym names: ‘Violacea         Plena’, ‘Yae Koku Riu’, ‘Multijuga Flore Fleno’, and ‘Longissima         Plena’, and ‘Yae Fuji’. ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ can also be compared         to the cultivar ‘Domino’ (not patented), which differs from         ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ in having single rosette shaped flowers that         are mauve-blue in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Wisteria. The photographs were plants about 4 years in age as grown outdoors in open ground in Taranaki, New Zealand.

The photograph in FIG. 1 is a view of inflorescences of ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 is of a close-up view of the flowers of ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ (bottom) in comparison to the flowers of ‘Black Dragon’ (top).

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digital photography and printing techniques utilized and the color codes in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Wisteria.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of plants about 4 years in age as grown outdoors in open ground in Taranaki, New Zealand. Plants were grown under average day temperatures of 18 to 20° C. and average night temperatures of 10 to 15° C. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—4 to 5 weeks in mid to late spring in New             Zealand.         -   Plant type.—Deciduous woody vine.         -   Plant habit.—Climbing vine.         -   Height.—Length is indeterminate, will grow to 2 m in height             before spreading outward as a vine if freestanding             (unsupported).         -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 9.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to             diseases or pests has been observed.         -   Root description.—Fleshy main roots with fine roots             developing after 4 to 5 months. -   Growth and propagation:     -   -   Propagation.—Hardwood cuttings or grafting.         -   Rooting.—Hardwood cuttings placed in heated sawdust will             callus in 10 to 20 days, cuttings are placed in a prepared             soil bed through black plastic and under a protective glass             dome cloches with soil temperatures of 12 to 15° C. and             roots appear in 15 to 20 days.         -   Growth rate.—Vigorous. -   Stem description:     -   -   Branch habit.—Basal with an average of 10 lateral branches             per basal stem.         -   Stem diameter.—Young stems average 4 mm, mature secondary             branches average 1 to 2 cm.         -   Stem shape.—Round.         -   Stem aspect.—Upright and becoming either procumbent or             climbing.         -   Stem color.—Young stems 146C speckled with 166B, mature bark             199D and speckled with 166B and occasional longitudinal             stripes of 156C.         -   Stem surface.—Glabrous when young, smooth but bark-like             (ridged) when mature.         -   Stem internode length.—Variable; ranging from 7 to 20 cm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaves.—Ovate in overall outline, division is odd pinnate;             11 to 13 leaflets, arrangement is initially in whorls             becoming alternate, average of 40 cm in length and 15.5 cm             in width when mature, 20 to 4.0 per lateral branch.         -   Leaflets.—Ovate in shape, rounded base, acute apex,             venation; pinnate pattern, conspicuous but not prominent,             137B on upper surface and 137D on lower surface, entire and             undulate margins, petiolate attachment, opposite             arrangement, surface; glabrous on upper surface and lower             surface and slightly bullate, color when expanding on upper             surface; 146C, color when expanding on lower surface; 146D,             color when mature; upper surface 137B and lower surface             137D, size; 55 to 10 cm in length, 3 to 4.5 cm in width             (terminal leaves the largest).         -   Petioles.—3 to 6 cm in length and 1.5 mm in width, 144A in             color, surface is glabrous.         -   Petiolules.—3 to 4 mm in length and 1.5 mm in width, 144A in             color, surface is glabrous.         -   Rachis.—Average on 3 cm in length and 1.5 mm in width on             mature leaves, 144A in color, surface is glabrous.         -   Stipules.—Not present. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal and auxiliary racemes of double             flowers, blooms from the base to the apex, cascading.         -   Inflorescence size.—35 to 40 cm in length, tapering from 8             to 12 cm in width down to 2 cm in width.         -   Inflorescence quantity.—1 to 10 per stem.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—3 to 4 weeks (opens from base             to apex).         -   Flower size.—About 2 cm in depth and 2 to 3.5 cm in             diameter.         -   Flower number.—About 40 per inflorescence.         -   Flower fragrance.—Mild.         -   Peduncle.—Oval in shape, up to 40 cm in length and 2 to 3 mm             in width, 139C in color, glabrous surface with some nodules,             flowers are arranged irregularly (both apposite and             alternate), internode length is an average of 1.5 cm.         -   Petiole.—3 to 5 cm in length and 1 mm in width, oval in             shape, 147B in color, glabrous surface, held nearly             horizontal to peduncle.         -   Flower buds.—Round in shaped, 1 to 1.5 cm in length and 9 mm             in width prior to opening, color a blend of 104B and 92B.         -   Flower type.—Irregular but campanulate-like, held nearly             horizontal to stem.         -   Calyx.—Campanulate, sepals fused at base.         -   Sepals.—3 to 4 mm in length and 1 to 2 mm in diameter,             margin entire, acute apex, fused base, color is 147C and             blending to 147A at base, surface on upper and lower surface             is slightly pubescent.         -   Corolla features.—About 20 petals and petaloids, round in             shape, 2 to 3 cm in length and 0.5 to 1 cm in diameter,             rounded apex, rounded base, upper surface and lower surface             is glabrous, color when opening upper and lower surface;             106D and suffused with 104B and 92B, color when fully open             upper and lower surface; 106D, color fades on upper and             lower surface; 108D. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, stigma; rounded with small tip, 147B in             color. Pistil. — 1.4 cm in length, 1 mm in width; style is             horizontal to ovary, 0.3 mm in width, 8 mm in length and             144D in color; stigma as above is okay, ovary is superior,             hairy surface, 144B in color, 9 mm in length and 1 mm in             width; stipe is 144D in color, 2 mm in length and 1 mm in             width.         -   Androecium.—No stamens present.         -   Fruit and seed.—Seeds were not observed to be produced. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Wisteria plant named ‘Ed's Blue Dragon’ as herein illustrated and described. 